Price is No.1 priority when booking flights

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23 August 2010

Almost 50% of travellers say price is the most important criteria when booking a flight, despite the failure of several airlines over the last 18 months, according to the latest survey from Skyscanner.

More than 500 people voted in the poll, with 47% stating that price was the most important factor in their decision. Some 22% said that the reputation and reliability of the airline (in terms of safety and comfort) were the most important factors; 13% stated that the departure and arrival times were most important; 11% said the distance to and from airports was the decider, whereas the financial stability of the airline was by far the least important factor, with only 6% stating that it was important to their decision.

The company’s co-founder and business director, Barry Smith, said: “As long as you have adequate travel insurance, there is little point digging through an airline’s financial records before booking your flights, trying to predict whether it will still be flying in six months time – the chances are it will be. “It’s been a tough time for the travel industry, but proportionally, the number of carriers that have gone bust over the last two years is actually very small compared to those that are still operating.”